Give em hell

When I was in New York in August I managed to snaffle one of the coveted limited edition Marc Jacobs bags that was produced in support of Al Gore's campaign for action against global warming. The former Next President of the United States is having some impact - conversation on the subway (when it wasn't about Mel Gibson's drunken tirade against Jews) was all abuzz about Al. In Australia, the excellent GetUp! organisation is hitting cyberspace with an email petition devised to show how much concern there is here in the suburbs about what seems like an increasingly pig-headed and moribund stance on the issue by the Howard government. Sign the petition and get yourself put on a map of Australia so our politicians can see which electorates are mad as hell and not going to take it anymore. This is an issue that does - and should - cross party lines. To sign the petition go directly here. I think more of us should adopt give 'em hell as a modus operandi. Time to retire "she'll be alright."

Deeply Superficial in October

The following is the text of this month's column in (sydney) and (melbourne) magazines:

A few months ago I was talking to a woman who is known for her poise and intelligence and she confessed to me that there was a time in her life when she would sneak out of bed before her husband awoke so that she could be ready and smiling at the breakfast table in full makeup. She was far too insecure to face the day – and him - without a couple of coats of Dulux.

Just as there are cricket tragics, there are foundation tragics, too: women who refuse to let their natural face see the light of day. The people at Clinique.com conducted a poll where they asked, “If Donald Trump was willing to pay you $100,00 to not wear foundation for a year, would you?” 19% said, “You’ve got to be kidding.” And that was only the men. (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)

Lately I’ve been on a hunt for a truly great foundation, one so I good that my skin looks digitally enhanced, as if I carried my own art director around with me. Where to start? Makeup artists are forever praising the Giorgio Armani foundation, which I hadn’t tried, so I rolled up to the Armani makeup counter at David Jones (where it’s exclusive) and asked Greg, one of Armani’s “Face Designers,” to take me through the range. Luckily, the Armani people offer a special deal - a full makeup for $50 redeemable on product, which is so popular on Saturdays for weddings and formals, that you need to book well ahead. The Armani best-seller is the Luminous Silk Foundation, which Greg applied with a brush as if he were working oil into a painting. The foundation has exceptional lightness and is meant to be layered so, no matter how much or little you apply, it’s pretty foolproof. Okay, Greg took more time and care than I would at home, but I’ve had good success with it in the appalling light of my little bathroom.

Another gorgeous foundation is La Mer’s new Skincolor, which is engineered with the same treatment benefits as the famous crème. It weighs in at about the twice the price of its nearest competitor (the Treatment Crème Foundation is $180 while the silken Treatment Fluid Foundation is $165) but has beautiful coverage and firming qualities (not to be sneezed at when you’re a certain age) and a luscious, dewy finish. La Mer recommends the use of a foundation brush – an implement that is my favourite new thing. Napoleon Perdis – whose new foundation collection is called China Doll, for a porcelain finish – is also a great fan of brushes because they allow you to mould the foundation into the skin without creating drag lines or absorbing oil from your fingers. And – brilliant news! –Yves Saint Laurent’s innovative new Perfect Touch foundation is like a giant pen with its own brush.

But you don’t have to take out a mortgage to buy a good foundation. At the other end of the price range are market leader Revlon’s Age Defying foundation and ColorStay with SoftFlex™ which are both excellent products that punch above their weight. SkinLights Instant Skin Brightness and Diffusing Tint foundation are truly brilliant if you want to cheat a glow. ModelCo’s Fluidsplash 3-in-1 foundation, which includes a built-in concealer and eye base in the lid, is perfect for a more natural look.

If the whole idea of choosing a foundation is daunting, the best news right now is Clinique’s impressive new Foundation Bar at David Jones, Elizabeth Street, Sydney, where you can sit and browse through the brand’s extensive range of foundations in 19 formulas and 230 shades, including some previously-unavailable formulas especially created for Middle Eastern and Asian women. It’s a world first, and Clinique have plans (not finalised) to open a bar in a Melbourne location. Orders for special colours can be placed and shipped by phoning 02 92665544.

The Baron of Botox

Apropos of my comments yesterday about taking the veil, quite coincidentally I had an appointment with the Baron of Botox, Dr. Frederic Brandt, of New York and Miami, who was in Sydney on a whirlwind promotional tool to introduce beauty editors to his over-the-counter range of beauty products, available in Australia at Mecca Cosmetica. The altogether charming and preternaturally youthful Dr.Brandt was wielding his famous needle for select media tarts, who I believe clamoured for the opportunity. When I declined, one of my botoxed-up pals was aghast. "Are you mad? He's the best." I'm still maintaining I like my wrinkles, although this novel I'm trying to finish is making them deeper by the day. In any case, you can read more about this in the (sydney) magazine in a few weeks.

Trowelling it on

You might want to check out my monthly column, Deeply Superficial, which appears in the (sydney) and (melbourne) magazines this week. The increasingly glamorous (sydney) magazine can only be found in The Sydney Morning Herald today, so you have to be fast. I'm musing on a truly superficial subject this month - foundations. I've test-driven the best of them, although I have to say nothing beats carrying your own kleig light round with you. Some days I can't get past the fact that I probably should take up the veil.

The ABC of Mark

My dear friend Mark Trevorrow will be broadcasting Wednesday 27, Thursday 28 and Friday 29 of September from 7-10pm on ABC Local Sydney and NSW. You catch the program on online here. Mark, as you no doubt know, is very close to TV and cabaret star Bob Downe but Mark is the intellectual one.

A Sunburnt Country

The show has just closed, but the works of photographer Anthony Amos have garnered rave reviews from Connecticut art critic Leah Lopez Schmalz. Reviewing the group show, Natural Instincts, at the Erickson-Davis Gallery Schmalz wrote, "Some of the most eye-catching, vibrant, and powerful work comes by way of Anthony Amos. This was the first time I have seen Amos's photography, and I guarantee it will not be the last. In two rows, he displays Australian "Natives," which are handmade c prints (abbreviation for color coupler print) from 6x7 color negative film that have been produced and retouched by the artist in editions of five. Whether it is the graceful tilt of the New Zealand Ghost Bush and its accompanying dancing shadow, the stunning and textured bloom in Bank-sia Menzesaii Cone/Green?, the dried crimson tulip-like petals of Gymea Lily, or the florescent pink tentacles that caress an aqua background in Wash, he provides one glorious image after another."
A selection of these abstract photographs of native plants will feature in the forthcoming November/December issue of Vogue Living Australia. By the way, Tony Amos is my husband.

Sound and Fury

I don't mind modern cinematic takes on Shakespeare pruning the language - witness the brilliant Ethan Hawke version of Hamlet made a few years back - but when the director decides to hack off the play's crucial couple of lines? I sat through Geoffrey Wright's new Melbourne ganglands version of Macbeth (starring Sam Worthington and Victoria Hill) waiting to see what he'd do to the "tomorrow" soliquoy, my favourite speech in all of Shakespeare. Cleverly, he transposes it so that it becomes a kind of eulogy, spoken in a voice over by a dead Macbeth. However, the lines that sum up Macbeth's view of the world ("It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing") were hacked off. Okay, I know that would have made a pretty nihilistic end to the film but it's indicative of how Wright has drained much of the poetry out of the play - and the film is all the less for it. Cutting most of the text is not so much the problem as the mangled delivery of those few lines that are still there. I quite like Shakespeare spoken in flat Australian accents but it's a major irritant here, especially when Wright has kept the "go thee hithers" and "forsooth my lords" (or whatever) and taken out the redeeming poetry, much of it, I should say, which is crucial to character development. I think Sam Worthington is one of the best young actors around and he's rivetting - but he doesn't have control of the few words he is given. It's a major problem, as is Victoria Hill's poor performance as Lady Macbeth. The idea of a rock star Macbeth and his Posh-like wife is a good one and I found the settings and transposing of Shakespeare to contemporary Melbourne thrilling but Hill just doesn't have the skills to make us understand this complex character. It's a pity as Wright's visual language is mostly sensational and the supporting cast is strong. (Mick Malloy's hit man is a revelation.)

By the way "a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing" - doesn't this remind you of the Bush administration?

Fabulous Nobodies does New York

Unbelievable as it may seeem, Fabulous Nobodies is 17 years old. But fashion being what it is, it can happily recycle itself for many years to come. There's a brand new edition out now from Avon Books, available in store in North America or on amazon.com and barnes&noble.com. A big thank you is due to Ben Widdicombe ("the sexiest gossip columnist in New York", according to gawker.com) and Horacio Silva ("the sexiest New York Times style editor in New York") for throwing me a fabulous bash on August 10 to celebrate Reality's re-emergence from the closet. Kisses to gawker.com for covering the party (check out the photos at www.gawker.com/news/party-crash/ team-party-crash-fabulous-nobodies-republication-event-193730.php) and for Page Six for calling me "the original smart cookie." Fans of the novel may enjoy the essay published with the edition about living in downtown New York in the 80s.

Back from New York and the relaunch of Fabulous Nobodies... photos, musings and even newer news coming soon - or eventually.